GP2 Series
Encyclopedia
The GP2 Series, GP2 for short, is a form of open wheel
motor racing introduced in 2005 following the discontinuation of the long-term Formula One
feeder series, Formula 3000. The format was conceived by Bernie Ecclestone
and Flavio Briatore
, while Ecclestone also has the rights to the name GP1. In 2010 the GP3 Series
class was launched, as a feeder class for the GP2 series.
Designed to make racing affordable for the teams and to make it the perfect training ground for life in Formula One, GP2 has made it mandatory for all of the teams to use the same chassis, engine and tyre supplier so that true driver ability is reflected. All but three races have taken place as support races at Formula One race weekends to boost the series' profile, to give drivers experience on the Grand Prix environment, and to take advantage of the infrastructure (marshalls, medical facilities etc.) in place for a Formula One event. GP2 visited the Bahrain International Circuit
in 2005 and 2007; all other races were held in European circuits.
Many drivers have used GP2 as a stepping stone into Formula One. The 2005 Champion Nico Rosberg
was hired by the Williams team for the 2006 F1 campaign, 2006 GP2 winner Lewis Hamilton
made the transition to F1 the following year with McLaren and the 2007 Champion Timo Glock
to Toyota for the 2008 F1 season. 2009 GP2 champion Nico Hülkenberg moved up to a Williams F1 race driver in the 2010 Formula 1 season. In addition, all runners up—Heikki Kovalainen
(2005), Nelson Piquet, Jr. (2006) and Lucas di Grassi
(2007)—became Renault
test drivers the following year. All three earned F1 seats, but Piquet Jr has since been replaced. Karun Chandhok, Bruno Senna
and Vitaly Petrov
were also granted an F1 seat in 2010. For 2011 Pastor Maldonado
was granted the hot seat at Williams due to his sponsorship from PDVSA and the fact he was GP2 champion. This meant that Nico Hülkenberg was deposed by Williams. Sergio Pérez
was given the drive alongside Kamui Kobayashi
, another former GP2 driver and GP2 Asia series winner, at Sauber
. Jerome D'Ambrosio
got his Virgin Racing drive a few days before Christmas 2010, the Yorkshire team deposed Lucas di Grassi for the driver who often drove in Friday Practice sessions throughout the season's second half.
During 2011 it was announced that in 2012 the GP2 and GP2 Asia Series would combine to make a single, longer GP2 series.
chassis powered by a V8 Renault
engine and Pirelli
tyres.
Chassis: The 2009 specification GP2 Car has been designed by Dallara Automobili. The 2006 GP2 car featured a biplane rear wing, with the triplane rear wing used in previous seasons only to be used at the Monaco race. The front upper and lower wishbones have been reinforced, as have the front and rear suspension uprights.
Engine: The 4 litre Renault
V8 engine
features internal, cartographic and software upgrades designed to improve performance and fuel consumption. The engine produces about 580 hp (432.5 kW). GP2 Series engines are rev-limited to 10,000 rpm. The valve train is a dual overhead camshaft configuration with four valves per cylinder. The crankshaft is made of alloy steel, with five main bearing caps. The pistons are forged aluminum alloy, while the connecting rods are machined alloy steel. The electronic engine management system is supplied by Magneti Marelli, firing a CDI ignition system. The engine lubrication is a Elf Aquitaine
dry sump type, cooled by a single water pump.
Gearbox: The 2009 gearbox has been manufactured by GearTek and features an 8-position barrel with ratchet body and software upgrades as well as a new transverse shafts fixing system designed to facilitate improved gear selection.
Tyres: Similar to the 2011 change for Formula 1, Pirelli is now the sole tyre supplier for the series. The GP2 series runs the same compounds as F1.
Other parts: Brembo is supplying monobloc brake
calipers and disc bells, which are exclusive to GP2.
The car also features internal cooling upgrades, a new water radiator, radiator duct, oil/water heat exchanger, modified oil degazer, new oil and water pipes and new heat exchanger fixing brackets.
Performance: According to research and pre-season stability tests, the 2005 model can go 0 to 200 km/h (124 mph) in 6.7 seconds. The car has a top speed of 320 km/h (198 mph) meaning that it is the fastest single seater racing car bar Formula One
and Indy cars
. The cars are predicted to be reliable and should run within ten seconds per lap of the typical Formula One car.
2011 also sees change as Dallara has built the 3rd generation chassis for all the teams the Gp2 11.
During Saturday's race, each driver has to make a pit stop in which at least two tyres have to be changed.
On Sunday there is a sprint race of 120 kilometres. The grid is decided by the Saturday result with top 8 being reversed, so the driver who finished 8th on Saturday will start from pole position and the winner will start from 8th place.
With this points system, the most number of points anyone can score in one round is 20 by claiming pole position, winning both races with the fastest lap in each race. This feat has only been achieved twice in GP2 Racing's short history. By Brazil
ian Nelson Piquet, Jr. in the 9th round of the 2006 season
in Hungary
and by German
Nico Hülkenberg in the 5th round of the 2009 season
in Germany
.
2012 onwards
From the 2012 season
the GP2 series will change its scoring system. Feature races will be run to the same scoring system as is used in Formula One:
The top eight finishers in a sprint race will receive points thus:
Pole position for the feature race will now be worth 4 points, and 2 points will be given for the fastest lap in each race. Therefore, the maximum number of points a driver can score at any round will be 48.
Notes:
was the first of the series, it succeeding the now defunct Formula 3000 championship. Arden International
won the last F3000 titles, thus starting as one of the favourites.
The 2005 season began on April 23, 2005 on the weekend of the San Marino Grand Prix
at the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari
in Imola
, Italy
. In the pre-season test to decide the inaugural season's car numbers, the iSport International
and HiTech/Piquet Racing teams showed a competitive edge. The latter team was largely funded by the former Formula One world champion Nelson Piquet
in order to aid his son's route to the premier Formula sport.
The championship lasted 23 rounds, two races occurring a weekend with the exception of a single race in Monaco
. It was won by German Nico Rosberg
, who was subsequently hired by the WilliamsF1
Team.
was the second of the series. After championship holder Nico Rosberg's move to the WilliamsF1 team, and runner-up Heikki Kovalainen
's move to be reserve driver at Renault F1
, Nelson Piquet, Jr. in the Piquet Sports car was installed as the early title favourite, though the ART Grand Prix
cars of Alexandre Prémat
and Lewis Hamilton
also had fairly short odds, given ART were reigning champions.
For the first time, the season began on a calendar separate to the 2006 Formula One
calendar, starting out at the Circuit de Valencia
, in Valencia, Spain
on April 8, 2006 with Piquet, Jr. the first victor.
Piquet raced into an early lead, before Lewis Hamilton came back into the foray. A dominant run by the Briton took him into the championship lead, before the balance came back into Piquet Jr.'s favour.
After an exciting championship battle lasting 20 races, Hamilton claimed the title in the penultimate race, at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza
, in Monza
, Italy
, and celebrated with a second place in the 21st and final round.
, and completed on 30 September at the Circuit de Valencia
. Eventual champion Timo Glock
was a driving force throughout the series, but came under stiff competition from Lucas di Grassi
in the closing stages- however, with a convincing win at the last race in Valencia, Glock sealed the championship.
from April 2008. It was won by Giorgio Pantano
for Racing Engineering
, with Bruno Senna
finishing distant runner-up.
(9–10 May) and ending in the stand-alone headline event (i.e. not supporting a corresponding Formula One
event) at Portugal's Autódromo Internacional do Algarve
(19–20 September). The title was won by German rookie Nico Hülkenberg at the penultimate round of the championship at Monza, the first time the series had been won before the final round.
Pastor Maldonado
won the title in his fourth season in the series. He won a record-breaking six successive feature races mid-season. Sergio Pérez
was his closest rival, but the title was sealed already in the penultimate round at Monza.
until the channel ceased broadcasting in June 2009. Setanta took up coverage of the series from ITV
, who had shown GP2 in all four seasons to date (highlights only for 2005–2007, live coverage for 2008). However, by the German GP, Setanta UK had gone into administration so UK viewers could have been left without a GP2 broadcaster, but British Eurosport
subsequently picked up the UK rights to GP2 for the next two and a half years. Setanta Ireland continues to operate for the Irish market and retain GP2 rights for that country. The races are also broadcast in Canada and USA on SPEED channel before the Formula One races, while in Brazil it's broadcast by cable TV channel SportTV, in Venezuela are broadcast by MeridianoTV; in the rest of Latin America, the races are shown on Fox Sports. About other European countries: In Spain, races are broadcasted by MarcaTV , La Sexta
and TV3
. In Germany PayTV Channel Sky broadcast all races Live and in Finland
Pay-TV-channel MTV3 MAX
broadcasts all races and qualifying live. RAI
broadcasts only the races.
Open wheel car
Open-wheel car, formula car, or often single-seater car in British English, describes cars with the wheels outside the car's main body and, in most cases, one seat. Open-wheel cars contrast with street cars, sports cars, stock cars, and touring cars, which have their wheels below the body or fenders...
motor racing introduced in 2005 following the discontinuation of the long-term Formula One
Formula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
feeder series, Formula 3000. The format was conceived by Bernie Ecclestone
Bernie Ecclestone
Bernard Charles "Bernie" Ecclestone is an English business magnate, as president and CEO of Formula One Management and Formula One Administration and through his part-ownership of Alpha Prema, the parent company of the Formula One Group of companies. As such, he is generally considered the primary...
and Flavio Briatore
Flavio Briatore
Flavio Briatore is an Italian businessman. During the 1980s, he was convicted for multiple counts of fraud, receiving two prison sentences, only one of which he served. As a fugitive from Italy, he set up restaurants and then a number of successful Benneton franchises in the Virgin Islands and the...
, while Ecclestone also has the rights to the name GP1. In 2010 the GP3 Series
GP3 Series
The GP3 Series, or GP3 for short, is a single seater motor racing series launched in 2010 as a feeder series for the GP2 Series, introduced by GP2 organiser Bruno Michel. It was initially thought that the GP3 series would merge with the International Formula Master series...
class was launched, as a feeder class for the GP2 series.
Designed to make racing affordable for the teams and to make it the perfect training ground for life in Formula One, GP2 has made it mandatory for all of the teams to use the same chassis, engine and tyre supplier so that true driver ability is reflected. All but three races have taken place as support races at Formula One race weekends to boost the series' profile, to give drivers experience on the Grand Prix environment, and to take advantage of the infrastructure (marshalls, medical facilities etc.) in place for a Formula One event. GP2 visited the Bahrain International Circuit
Bahrain International Circuit
The Bahrain International Circuit is a motorsport venue opened in 2004 and used for drag racing, GP2 and the annual Bahrain Grand Prix. The 2004 Grand Prix was the first held in the Middle East. Since 2006, Australian V8 Supercar has been raced at the BIC and the V8 races are named as the Desert 400...
in 2005 and 2007; all other races were held in European circuits.
Many drivers have used GP2 as a stepping stone into Formula One. The 2005 Champion Nico Rosberg
Nico Rosberg
Nico Erik Rosberg is a racing driver for the Mercedes GP Formula One team. He races under the German flag in Formula One, although he competed for Finland earlier in his career...
was hired by the Williams team for the 2006 F1 campaign, 2006 GP2 winner Lewis Hamilton
Lewis Hamilton
Lewis Carl Davidson Hamilton, MBE is a British Formula One racing driver from England, currently racing for the McLaren team. He was the Formula One World Champion.Hamilton was born in Stevenage, Hertfordshire...
made the transition to F1 the following year with McLaren and the 2007 Champion Timo Glock
Timo Glock
Timo Glock is a German motor racing driver, currently driving in Formula One for the Virgin Racing team. At the 2004 Canadian Grand Prix, standing in for Giorgio Pantano who had a contract dispute with Jordan Grand Prix, he joined a select group of drivers who have scored a World Championship...
to Toyota for the 2008 F1 season. 2009 GP2 champion Nico Hülkenberg moved up to a Williams F1 race driver in the 2010 Formula 1 season. In addition, all runners up—Heikki Kovalainen
Heikki Kovalainen
Heikki Johannes Kovalainen is a Finnish Formula One racing driver who spent the 2008 and 2009 seasons with British based team McLaren and the 2010 and 2011 seasons with Team Lotus....
(2005), Nelson Piquet, Jr. (2006) and Lucas di Grassi
Lucas di Grassi
Lucas Tucci di Grassi is a Brazilian racing driver who drove for Virgin Racing in the 2010 Formula One season...
(2007)—became Renault
Renault F1
Lotus Renault GP, formerly the Renault F1 Team, is a British Formula One racing team. The Oxfordshire-based team can trace its roots back through the Benetton team of the late 1980s and 1990s to the Toleman team of the early 1980s. Renault had also competed in various forms since , before taking...
test drivers the following year. All three earned F1 seats, but Piquet Jr has since been replaced. Karun Chandhok, Bruno Senna
Bruno Senna
Bruno Senna Lalli is a Brazilian Formula One racing driver and the nephew of the late three-time Formula One world champion Ayrton Senna. His mother is Ayrton's older sister, Viviane. His father, Flávio Lalli, died in a motorcycle crash in 1996. He wears a slightly modified version of his uncle's...
and Vitaly Petrov
Vitaly Petrov
Vitaly Alexandrovich Petrov is a Russian Formula One racing driver, currently driving for the Lotus Renault GP team. He is known as "Vyborg Rocket" in Russia. He is, to date, the only Russian to have competed in the Formula One World Championship....
were also granted an F1 seat in 2010. For 2011 Pastor Maldonado
Pastor Maldonado
Pastor Rafael Maldonado Motta is a Venezuelan Formula One driver. Before making his Formula One debut in 2011, he won the 2010 GP2 championship.-Formula Renault:...
was granted the hot seat at Williams due to his sponsorship from PDVSA and the fact he was GP2 champion. This meant that Nico Hülkenberg was deposed by Williams. Sergio Pérez
Sergio Pérez
Sergio Pérez Mendoza , also known as "Checo" Pérez, is a Mexican racing driver of Spanish descent, currently racing for Sauber in the 2011 Formula One season...
was given the drive alongside Kamui Kobayashi
Kamui Kobayashi
is a Japanese racing driver. He has competed in the GP2 Series, won the GP2 Asia Series, and made his Formula One debut with Toyota in the final two races of when he replaced Timo Glock after the German was injured in a crash during qualifying for the...
, another former GP2 driver and GP2 Asia series winner, at Sauber
Sauber
Sauber F1 Team is a Swiss Formula One team. It was founded in the 1970s by Peter Sauber, who progressed through hillclimbing and the World Sportscar Championship to reach Formula One in 1993....
. Jerome D'Ambrosio
Jérôme d'Ambrosio
Jérôme d'Ambrosio is a Belgian racing driver of Italian descent. He is driving for Marussia Virgin Racing during the 2011 Formula One World Championship.-Karting:...
got his Virgin Racing drive a few days before Christmas 2010, the Yorkshire team deposed Lucas di Grassi for the driver who often drove in Friday Practice sessions throughout the season's second half.
During 2011 it was announced that in 2012 the GP2 and GP2 Asia Series would combine to make a single, longer GP2 series.
GP2 Series cars
The GP2 Series car is used by all of the teams, and features a DallaraDallara
Dallara Automobili is an Italian chassis manufacturer for various motor racing series, being most notable for its near-monopoly in Formula 3 since 1993...
chassis powered by a V8 Renault
Renault
Renault S.A. is a French automaker producing cars, vans, and in the past, autorail vehicles, trucks, tractors, vans and also buses/coaches. Its alliance with Nissan makes it the world's third largest automaker...
engine and Pirelli
Pirelli
Pirelli & C. SpA is a diverse multinational company based in Milan, Italy. The company, the world’s fifth largest tyre manufacturer, is present in over 160 countries, has 20 manufacturing sites around the world and a network of around 10,000 distributors and retailers.Founded in Milan in 1872,...
tyres.
Chassis: The 2009 specification GP2 Car has been designed by Dallara Automobili. The 2006 GP2 car featured a biplane rear wing, with the triplane rear wing used in previous seasons only to be used at the Monaco race. The front upper and lower wishbones have been reinforced, as have the front and rear suspension uprights.
Engine: The 4 litre Renault
Renault
Renault S.A. is a French automaker producing cars, vans, and in the past, autorail vehicles, trucks, tractors, vans and also buses/coaches. Its alliance with Nissan makes it the world's third largest automaker...
V8 engine
V8 engine
A V8 engine is a V engine with eight cylinders mounted on the crankcase in two banks of four cylinders, in most cases set at a right angle to each other but sometimes at a narrower angle, with all eight pistons driving a common crankshaft....
features internal, cartographic and software upgrades designed to improve performance and fuel consumption. The engine produces about 580 hp (432.5 kW). GP2 Series engines are rev-limited to 10,000 rpm. The valve train is a dual overhead camshaft configuration with four valves per cylinder. The crankshaft is made of alloy steel, with five main bearing caps. The pistons are forged aluminum alloy, while the connecting rods are machined alloy steel. The electronic engine management system is supplied by Magneti Marelli, firing a CDI ignition system. The engine lubrication is a Elf Aquitaine
Elf Aquitaine
Elf Aquitaine was a French oil company which merged with TotalFina to form TotalFinaElf. The new company changed its name to Total in 2003...
dry sump type, cooled by a single water pump.
Gearbox: The 2009 gearbox has been manufactured by GearTek and features an 8-position barrel with ratchet body and software upgrades as well as a new transverse shafts fixing system designed to facilitate improved gear selection.
Tyres: Similar to the 2011 change for Formula 1, Pirelli is now the sole tyre supplier for the series. The GP2 series runs the same compounds as F1.
Other parts: Brembo is supplying monobloc brake
Brake
A brake is a mechanical device which inhibits motion. Its opposite component is a clutch. The rest of this article is dedicated to various types of vehicular brakes....
calipers and disc bells, which are exclusive to GP2.
The car also features internal cooling upgrades, a new water radiator, radiator duct, oil/water heat exchanger, modified oil degazer, new oil and water pipes and new heat exchanger fixing brackets.
Performance: According to research and pre-season stability tests, the 2005 model can go 0 to 200 km/h (124 mph) in 6.7 seconds. The car has a top speed of 320 km/h (198 mph) meaning that it is the fastest single seater racing car bar Formula One
Formula One car
A modern Formula One car is a single-seat, open cockpit, open wheel racing car with substantial front and rear wings, and an engine positioned behind the driver. The regulations governing the cars are unique to the championship...
and Indy cars
IndyCar Series
The IZOD IndyCar Series is the premier level of American open wheel racing. The current championship, founded by Indianapolis Motor Speedway owner Tony George, began in 1996 as a competitor to CART known as the Indy Racing League . Citing CART's increasing reliance on expensive machinery and...
. The cars are predicted to be reliable and should run within ten seconds per lap of the typical Formula One car.
2008-2010 Specifications
- Chassis: Dallara GP2/08DallaraDallara Automobili is an Italian chassis manufacturer for various motor racing series, being most notable for its near-monopoly in Formula 3 since 1993...
Survival cell - Sandwich Carbon/aluminium honeycomb structure made by Dallara. Front and rear wing - Carbon structures made by Dallara. Bodywork - Carbon - Kevlar honeycomb structures made by Dallara. - Engine Displacement: MecachromeMecachromeMecachrome SAS is a precision engineering company involved in aviation, the automotive industry, motor racing and industrial engineering, but is most famous for assembling the engines designed by Renault for the Renault Formula One team.-Formula One:...
Built RenaultRenaultRenault S.A. is a French automaker producing cars, vans, and in the past, autorail vehicles, trucks, tractors, vans and also buses/coaches. Its alliance with Nissan makes it the world's third largest automaker...
4 litre (245 in³) DOHC V8. - Gearbox: GearTek 6-speed paddle shift gearboxManual transmissionA manual transmission, also known as a manual gearbox or standard transmission is a type of transmission used in motor vehicle applications...
and one reverse. - Power Output: 612 hp @ 10,000 rpmRevolutions per minuteRevolutions per minute is a measure of the frequency of a rotation. It annotates the number of full rotations completed in one minute around a fixed axis...
. - Fuel: ElfElf AquitaineElf Aquitaine was a French oil company which merged with TotalFina to form TotalFinaElf. The new company changed its name to Total in 2003...
100 RONOctane ratingOctane rating or octane number is a standard measure of the anti-knock properties of a motor or aviation fuel. The higher the octane number, the more compression the fuel can withstand before detonating...
, no refuelling. - Fuel Tank: FIA homologated rubber safety tank.
- Fuel Capacity: 33 US gal (125 l; 27 imp gal).
- Fuel Delivery: Fuel injectionFuel injectionFuel injection is a system for admitting fuel into an internal combustion engine. It has become the primary fuel delivery system used in automotive petrol engines, having almost completely replaced carburetors in the late 1980s....
. - Aspiration: Naturally aspiratedNaturally-aspirated engineA naturally aspirated engine is one common type of reciprocating piston internal combustion engine that depends solely on atmospheric pressure to counter the partial vacuum in the induction tract to draw in combustion air...
. - Electronics/ECU: Magneti Marelli.
- Length: 4867 millimetre.
- Height: 1047 millimetre (including FOM roll hoop camera).
- Width: 1805 millimetre (bodywork 1500 millimetre).
- Wheelbase: 3119 millimetre.
- Weight: 688 kg (1,517 lb) (without driver).
- Steering: Rack and pinionRack and pinionA rack and pinion is a type of linear actuator that comprises a pair of gears which convert rotational motion into linear motion. A circular gear called "the pinion" engages teeth on a linear "gear" bar called "the rack"; rotational motion applied to the pinion causes the rack to move, thereby...
and manual, power assisted banned. - Drivetrain: 2WD only.
- Brakes: Hitco racing.
- Tires: Bridgestone PotenzaBridgestoneThe is a multinational rubber conglomerate founded in 1931 by in the city of Kurume, Fukuoka, Japan. The name Bridgestone comes from a calque translation and transposition of ishibashi, meaning "stone bridge" in Japanese....
racing slicks and rain tires. - Wheel rims: O.Z. Racing.
- Safety equipment: HANS deviceHANS deviceThe HANS device is a safety item compulsory in many car racing sports...
, Seat belt 6-point supplied by Sabelt. - Prohibitings: Traction Control only
2011 also sees change as Dallara has built the 3rd generation chassis for all the teams the Gp2 11.
Race weekend
On Friday, drivers have a 30-minute free practice session and a 30-minute qualifying session. The qualifying session decides the grid order for Saturday's race which has a length of 180 kilometres.During Saturday's race, each driver has to make a pit stop in which at least two tyres have to be changed.
On Sunday there is a sprint race of 120 kilometres. The grid is decided by the Saturday result with top 8 being reversed, so the driver who finished 8th on Saturday will start from pole position and the winner will start from 8th place.
Point system
2005-2011- Pole for Saturday races: 2 points
Point system for race 1 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 10 8 6 5 4 3 2 1
| Point system for race 2 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th |
| 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
- Fastest lap: 1 point in each race. Driver recording fastest lap has to drive 90% of race laps. The driver must now also start the race from his allocated grid position and as of 2008 must finish in the top ten of the race to be eligible for the fastest lap point.
With this points system, the most number of points anyone can score in one round is 20 by claiming pole position, winning both races with the fastest lap in each race. This feat has only been achieved twice in GP2 Racing's short history. By Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
ian Nelson Piquet, Jr. in the 9th round of the 2006 season
2006 GP2 Series season
The 2006 GP2 Series season began at Valencia, Spain on April 8, 2006 and ended in Monza, Italy on September 10, 2006. The season was won by Briton Lewis Hamilton, with Brazilian Nelson Angelo Piquet finishing second.-The chassis:...
in Hungary
Hungaroring
The Hungaroring is a racing circuit in Mogyoród, near Budapest, Hungary where the Formula One Hungarian Grand Prix is held. In 1986, it became the location of the first Formula One Grand Prix behind the Iron Curtain. Bernie Ecclestone wanted a race in the USSR, but a Hungarian friend of his...
and by German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
Nico Hülkenberg in the 5th round of the 2009 season
2009 GP2 Series season
The 2009 GP2 Series season was the fifth GP2 Series season. The season consisted of twenty races at ten rounds, beginning on May 9 at the Circuit de Catalunya and finishing on September 20 at the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve. The Algarve circuit hosted its first GP2 weekend, and was the only...
in Germany
Nürburgring
The Nürburgring is a motorsport complex around the village of Nürburg, Germany. It features a modern Grand Prix race track built in 1984, and a much longer old North loop track which was built in the 1920s around the village and medieval castle of Nürburg in the Eifel mountains. It is located about...
.
2012 onwards
From the 2012 season
2012 GP2 Series season
The 2012 GP2 Series season will be the eighth GP2 Series season and the first season after merging with the GP2 Asia Series. The championship will be expanded to include several flyaway races in support of the 2012 Formula One season....
the GP2 series will change its scoring system. Feature races will be run to the same scoring system as is used in Formula One:
| Point system for race 1 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | 7th | 8th | 9th | 10th |
| 25 | 18 | 15 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 1 |
The top eight finishers in a sprint race will receive points thus:
| Point system for race 2 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | 7th | 8th |
| 15 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 1 |
Pole position for the feature race will now be worth 4 points, and 2 points will be given for the fastest lap in each race. Therefore, the maximum number of points a driver can score at any round will be 48.
Champions
| Season | Champion | Second | Third | Team Champion |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 2005 GP2 Series season The 2005 GP2 Series season started in Imola, San Marino on April 23, and ended in Manama, Bahrain on September 30. The season was won by the German Nico Rosberg, with the Finn Heikki Kovalainen finishing second.... |
 Nico RosbergNico Rosberg Nico Erik Rosberg is a racing driver for the Mercedes GP Formula One team. He races under the German flag in Formula One, although he competed for Finland earlier in his career... (ART Grand Prix ART Grand Prix Lotus ART is a French motor racing team that competes in formula single-seaters in Europe. It was founded as ART Grand Prix in 1991.-Creation:... ) |
 Heikki KovalainenHeikki Kovalainen Heikki Johannes Kovalainen is a Finnish Formula One racing driver who spent the 2008 and 2009 seasons with British based team McLaren and the 2010 and 2011 seasons with Team Lotus.... (Arden International Arden International Arden International is an GP2 Series team, created by Christian Horner.Initially created to raise up Horner's career, and then reliant on sponsorship from Viktor Maslov, the team began to get good results and was the best team of Formula 3000 in its last years, showing new talents to motorsport... ) |
 Scott SpeedScott Speed Scott Andrew Speed is an American race car driver. Formerly a driver for the Scuderia Toro Rosso F1 team, he made his Formula One race debut at the 2006 Bahrain Grand Prix; becoming the first American to race in F1 since Michael Andretti in 1993... (iSport International ISport International iSport International is a British championship winning motor racing team that competes in the GP2 Series and GP2 Asia Series, the official feeder series for Formula One. It was founded in 2004.- Overview :... ) |
 ART Grand PrixART Grand Prix Lotus ART is a French motor racing team that competes in formula single-seaters in Europe. It was founded as ART Grand Prix in 1991.-Creation:... |
| 2006 2006 GP2 Series season The 2006 GP2 Series season began at Valencia, Spain on April 8, 2006 and ended in Monza, Italy on September 10, 2006. The season was won by Briton Lewis Hamilton, with Brazilian Nelson Angelo Piquet finishing second.-The chassis:... |
 Lewis HamiltonLewis Hamilton Lewis Carl Davidson Hamilton, MBE is a British Formula One racing driver from England, currently racing for the McLaren team. He was the Formula One World Champion.Hamilton was born in Stevenage, Hertfordshire... (ART Grand Prix ART Grand Prix Lotus ART is a French motor racing team that competes in formula single-seaters in Europe. It was founded as ART Grand Prix in 1991.-Creation:... ) |
 Nelson Piquet, Jr. (Piquet Sports) |
Alexandre Prémat Alexandre Prémat Alexandre Prémat is a French race car driver.-Career:-Karting & French Formula Renault Campus:... (ART Grand Prix ART Grand Prix Lotus ART is a French motor racing team that competes in formula single-seaters in Europe. It was founded as ART Grand Prix in 1991.-Creation:... ) |
ART Grand Prix ART Grand Prix Lotus ART is a French motor racing team that competes in formula single-seaters in Europe. It was founded as ART Grand Prix in 1991.-Creation:... |
| 2007 2007 GP2 Series season The 2007 GP2 Series season began on April 14 at Bahrain. Timo Glock was crowned series champion on September 30 after winning the final round at Valencia, with Brazilian Lucas di Grassi finishing second.-Season summary:... |
Timo Glock Timo Glock Timo Glock is a German motor racing driver, currently driving in Formula One for the Virgin Racing team. At the 2004 Canadian Grand Prix, standing in for Giorgio Pantano who had a contract dispute with Jordan Grand Prix, he joined a select group of drivers who have scored a World Championship... (iSport International ISport International iSport International is a British championship winning motor racing team that competes in the GP2 Series and GP2 Asia Series, the official feeder series for Formula One. It was founded in 2004.- Overview :... ) |
Lucas di Grassi Lucas di Grassi Lucas Tucci di Grassi is a Brazilian racing driver who drove for Virgin Racing in the 2010 Formula One season... (ART Grand Prix ART Grand Prix Lotus ART is a French motor racing team that competes in formula single-seaters in Europe. It was founded as ART Grand Prix in 1991.-Creation:... ) |
 Giorgio PantanoGiorgio Pantano Giorgio Pantano is an Italian racing driver who drove for the Jordan Formula One team for much of the 2004 season before being replaced by Timo Glock... (Campos Grand Prix) |
iSport International ISport International iSport International is a British championship winning motor racing team that competes in the GP2 Series and GP2 Asia Series, the official feeder series for Formula One. It was founded in 2004.- Overview :... |
| 2008 2008 GP2 Series season The 2008 GP2 Series season was the fourth GP2 Series season. It began on April 26 at Barcelona, Spain and it finished on September 14 at Monza, Italy. This is the first season using a new car design to be used during the following 3 seasons. The series was won by Giorgio Pantano.-Season summary:4th... |
Giorgio Pantano Giorgio Pantano Giorgio Pantano is an Italian racing driver who drove for the Jordan Formula One team for much of the 2004 season before being replaced by Timo Glock... (Racing Engineering Racing Engineering Racing Engineering is a Spanish racing team founded in 1999 by Alfonso de Orléans-Borbón. The team's headquarters are located in Sanlúcar de Barrameda, near Jerez, in a state-of-the-art factory, where all car preparation and race team organization is based.... ) |
Bruno Senna Bruno Senna Bruno Senna Lalli is a Brazilian Formula One racing driver and the nephew of the late three-time Formula One world champion Ayrton Senna. His mother is Ayrton's older sister, Viviane. His father, Flávio Lalli, died in a motorcycle crash in 1996. He wears a slightly modified version of his uncle's... (iSport International ISport International iSport International is a British championship winning motor racing team that competes in the GP2 Series and GP2 Asia Series, the official feeder series for Formula One. It was founded in 2004.- Overview :... ) |
Lucas di Grassi Lucas di Grassi Lucas Tucci di Grassi is a Brazilian racing driver who drove for Virgin Racing in the 2010 Formula One season... (Barwa Int. Campos Team) |
 Barwa International Campos Team |
| 2009 2009 GP2 Series season The 2009 GP2 Series season was the fifth GP2 Series season. The season consisted of twenty races at ten rounds, beginning on May 9 at the Circuit de Catalunya and finishing on September 20 at the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve. The Algarve circuit hosted its first GP2 weekend, and was the only... |
Nico Hülkenberg (ART Grand Prix ART Grand Prix Lotus ART is a French motor racing team that competes in formula single-seaters in Europe. It was founded as ART Grand Prix in 1991.-Creation:... ) |
 Vitaly PetrovVitaly Petrov Vitaly Alexandrovich Petrov is a Russian Formula One racing driver, currently driving for the Lotus Renault GP team. He is known as "Vyborg Rocket" in Russia. He is, to date, the only Russian to have competed in the Formula One World Championship.... (Barwa Addax Team) |
Lucas di Grassi Lucas di Grassi Lucas Tucci di Grassi is a Brazilian racing driver who drove for Virgin Racing in the 2010 Formula One season... (Fat Burner Racing Engineering Racing Engineering Racing Engineering is a Spanish racing team founded in 1999 by Alfonso de Orléans-Borbón. The team's headquarters are located in Sanlúcar de Barrameda, near Jerez, in a state-of-the-art factory, where all car preparation and race team organization is based.... ) |
ART Grand Prix ART Grand Prix Lotus ART is a French motor racing team that competes in formula single-seaters in Europe. It was founded as ART Grand Prix in 1991.-Creation:... |
| 2010 2010 GP2 Series season The 2010 GP2 Series season was the sixth GP2 Series season. The season began on 8 May at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmeló, Spain and ended on 14 November at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates after 20 races held at ten meetings.... |
 Pastor MaldonadoPastor Maldonado Pastor Rafael Maldonado Motta is a Venezuelan Formula One driver. Before making his Formula One debut in 2011, he won the 2010 GP2 championship.-Formula Renault:... (Rapax) |
 Sergio PérezSergio Pérez Sergio Pérez Mendoza , also known as "Checo" Pérez, is a Mexican racing driver of Spanish descent, currently racing for Sauber in the 2011 Formula One season... (Barwa Addax Team) |
Jules Bianchi Jules Bianchi Jules Bianchi is a French racing driver.-Family:Jules is the grandson of Mauro Bianchi, three-times World Champion in the GT category, and the grandnephew of Lucien, who won the 24 Hours of Le Mans and competed in nineteen Grands Prix in the Formula One World Championship between and , with a... (ART Grand Prix ART Grand Prix Lotus ART is a French motor racing team that competes in formula single-seaters in Europe. It was founded as ART Grand Prix in 1991.-Creation:... ) |
Rapax |
| 2011 2011 GP2 Series season The 2011 GP2 Series season was the seventh season of the pan-European motor racing series for single specification open wheel GP2 cars. Thirteen teams competed over a nine event series that run from May 7 at Istanbul Park in Turkey to September 11 at Monza in Italy... |
Romain Grosjean Romain Grosjean Romain Grosjean is a racing driver, who holds dual nationality from France and Switzerland, but competes under a French racing licence. He was the 2007 Formula Three Euroseries drivers' champion and the inaugural GP2 Asia Series champion and drove in Formula One in 2009... (DAMS DAMS Driot-Arnoux Motorsport is a racing team from France, involved in many areas of motorsports. DAMS was founded in 1988 by Jean-Paul Driot and former Formula One driver René Arnoux. It is headquartered near Le Mans, only 2 km from the Bugatti Circuit.- History :The year after its foundation,... ) |
Luca Filippi Luca Filippi Luca Filippi is a racing driver who competes in single seaters in Europe.-Formula Renault:Filippi made the step out of karting in 2003, competing in Formula Renault 2.0 Italia, where he finished third in 2004 behind Pastor Maldonado and Kohei Hirate.-Formula 3000:Filippi stepped up to the Italian... (Super Nova Super Nova Racing Super Nova Racing is a British racing team that has competed in Formula 3000/GP2 and the A1 Grand Prix series. Super Nova first entered racing in 1991... /Scuderia Coloni) |
Jules Bianchi Jules Bianchi Jules Bianchi is a French racing driver.-Family:Jules is the grandson of Mauro Bianchi, three-times World Champion in the GT category, and the grandnephew of Lucien, who won the 24 Hours of Le Mans and competed in nineteen Grands Prix in the Formula One World Championship between and , with a... (Lotus Lotus Cars Lotus Cars is a British manufacturer of sports and racing cars based at the former site of RAF Hethel, a World War II airfield in Norfolk. The company designs and builds race and production automobiles of light weight and fine handling characteristics... ART ART Grand Prix Lotus ART is a French motor racing team that competes in formula single-seaters in Europe. It was founded as ART Grand Prix in 1991.-Creation:... ) |
Barwa Addax Team |
Drivers graduated to F1
| Driver | Seasons in GP2 | Races | Wins | Seasons in F1 | First team | Races | Wins | Podiums | Other major titles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |
2005 | 23 | 5 | 2006-2011 | Williams WilliamsF1 Williams Grand Prix Engineering Limited, trading as AT&T Williams, is a British Formula One motor racing team and constructor. It was founded and run by Sir Frank Williams and Patrick Head... |
105 | 0 | 5 | |
| |
2005 | 23 | 5 | 2007-2011 | Renault Renault F1 Lotus Renault GP, formerly the Renault F1 Team, is a British Formula One racing team. The Oxfordshire-based team can trace its roots back through the Benetton team of the late 1980s and 1990s to the Toleman team of the early 1980s. Renault had also competed in various forms since , before taking... |
87 | 1 | 4 | World Series by Nissan 2004 World Series by Nissan season The 2004 World Series by Nissan season was contested over 9 race weekends/18 rounds. In this one-make formula all drivers had to utilize Dallara chassis and Nissan engines . 11 different teams and 31 different drivers competed... |
| |
2005 | 23 | 0 | 2006-2007 | Toro Rosso Scuderia Toro Rosso Scuderia Toro Rosso , also known simply as Toro Rosso or by its abbreviation STR, is an Italian Formula One racing team... |
28 | 0 | 0 | FR 2000 Eurocup 2004 Formula Renault 2000 Eurocup season The 2004 Formula Renault 2000 Eurocup season was the fourteenth Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 season.-Drivers:Points are awarded to the drivers as follows:... |
| |
2006 | 21 | 5 | 2007-2011 | McLaren McLaren McLaren Racing Limited, trading as Vodafone McLaren Mercedes, is a British Formula One team based in Woking, Surrey, United Kingdom. McLaren is best known as a Formula One constructor but has also competed and won in the Indianapolis 500 and Canadian-American Challenge Cup... |
87 | 16 | 41 | Formula One Formula One Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which... , FR 2.0 UK British Formula Renault Championship The United Kingdom has two Formula Renault championships: Renault Sport UK's Formula Renault UK championship and the British Automobile Racing Club's BARC Formula Renault championship. Generally, the UK series is recognized as the British Formula Renault.-History:The "British Formula Renault... , F3 Euro Series |
| |
2005-2006 | 44 | 5 | 2008-2009 | Renault Renault F1 Lotus Renault GP, formerly the Renault F1 Team, is a British Formula One racing team. The Oxfordshire-based team can trace its roots back through the Benetton team of the late 1980s and 1990s to the Toleman team of the early 1980s. Renault had also competed in various forms since , before taking... |
28 | 0 | 1 | F3 Sudamericana Formula Three Sudamericana Formula Three Sudamericana is the official name for the South American Formula Three Championship. It was inaugurated in 1987 and currently holds events in Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay... , British F3 2004 British Formula Three season The 2004 British Formula Three season was the 54th British Formula Three Championship season. It commenced on April 3, and ended on October 1 after twenty-four races.-Drivers and teams:... |
| |
2006-2007 | 42 | 7 | 2004, 2008-2011 | Toyota | 72 | 0 | 3 | |
 |
2007 | 21 | 0 | 2007-2009 | Williams WilliamsF1 Williams Grand Prix Engineering Limited, trading as AT&T Williams, is a British Formula One motor racing team and constructor. It was founded and run by Sir Frank Williams and Patrick Head... |
36 | 0 | 0 | |
| |
2007-2008 | 41 | 3 | 2010-2011 | HRT | 23 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2007-2008 | 31 | 2 | 2009-2011 | Toro Rosso Scuderia Toro Rosso Scuderia Toro Rosso , also known simply as Toro Rosso or by its abbreviation STR, is an Italian Formula One racing team... |
52 | 0 | 0 | ||
| |
2008-2011 | 54 | 9 | 2009 | Renault Renault F1 Lotus Renault GP, formerly the Renault F1 Team, is a British Formula One racing team. The Oxfordshire-based team can trace its roots back through the Benetton team of the late 1980s and 1990s to the Toleman team of the early 1980s. Renault had also competed in various forms since , before taking... |
7 | 0 | 0 | F3 Euro Series, GP2 Asia 2008 GP2 Asia Series season The 2008 GP2 Asia Series season was the first GP2 Asia Series season. It started on January 25 and ended on April 12. Romain Grosjean became the champion, with his team, ART Grand Prix, taking the teams' title despite his team-mate Stephen Jelley scoring no points.-Entry list:-Pre-Season Testing... , Auto GP 2010 Auto GP season The 2010 Auto GP season was the twelfth season of the former Euroseries 3000, and the first under its new name "Auto GP". The main sponsor of the series was PartyPoker.it... , GP2 Asia 2011 GP2 Asia Series season The 2011 GP2 Asia Series was the fourth and final season of the GP2 Asia Series, and the second to be held entirely in a single calendar year. Rather than starting at the end of 2010 and running through the winter as with the previous two seasons of GP2 Asia, the 2011 season did not start until the... |
| |
2009 | 20 | 5 | 2010 | Williams WilliamsF1 Williams Grand Prix Engineering Limited, trading as AT&T Williams, is a British Formula One motor racing team and constructor. It was founded and run by Sir Frank Williams and Patrick Head... |
19 | 0 | 0 | A1 Grand Prix, F3 Euro Series |
| |
2006-2009 | 69 | 4 | 2010-2011 | Renault Renault F1 Lotus Renault GP, formerly the Renault F1 Team, is a British Formula One racing team. The Oxfordshire-based team can trace its roots back through the Benetton team of the late 1980s and 1990s to the Toleman team of the early 1980s. Renault had also competed in various forms since , before taking... |
35 | 0 | 1 | |
| |
2006-2009 | 75 | 5 | 2010 | Virgin Virgin Racing Marussia Virgin Racing, the trading name of Virgin Racing Limited, is a Russian owned Formula One racing team based in the United Kingdom and racing on a Russian licence, which made its debut in the 2010 Formula One season. It was granted entry as Manor Grand Prix on 12 June 2009, as one of four... |
19 | 0 | 0 | |
| |
2008-2009 | 40 | 1 | 2009-2011 | Toyota | 37 | 0 | 0 | Eurocup FR 2.0 2005 Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 season The 2005 Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 season was the fifteenth Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 season. The season began at Zolder on April 30 and finished at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza on October 22, after sixteen races. Kamui Kobayashi was crowned series champion.-Driver... , GP2 Asia |
 |
2007-2009 | 61 | 2 | 2010-2011 | HRT | 11 | 0 | 0 | Formula V6 Asia 2006 Formula V6 Asia by Renault season The 2006 Formula V6 Asia season was the first season of the series. The season started on May 13-14 in Sepang and ended on October 21-22 in Zuhai.-Race calendar:-Full Series Results:... |
| |
2007-2010 | 73 | 10 | 2011 | Williams WilliamsF1 Williams Grand Prix Engineering Limited, trading as AT&T Williams, is a British Formula One motor racing team and constructor. It was founded and run by Sir Frank Williams and Patrick Head... |
16 | 0 | 0 | |
| |
2009-2010 | 40 | 5 | 2011 | Sauber Sauber Sauber F1 Team is a Swiss Formula One team. It was founded in the 1970s by Peter Sauber, who progressed through hillclimbing and the World Sportscar Championship to reach Formula One in 1993.... |
16 | 0 | 0 | |
 |
2008-2010 | 58 | 1 | 2011 | Virgin Virgin Racing Marussia Virgin Racing, the trading name of Virgin Racing Limited, is a Russian owned Formula One racing team based in the United Kingdom and racing on a Russian licence, which made its debut in the 2010 Formula One season. It was granted entry as Manor Grand Prix on 12 June 2009, as one of four... |
16 | 0 | 0 | International Formula Master 2007 International Formula Master season The 2007 International Formula Master season was the inaugural International Formula Master series season. The season started on the weekend of May 18–20 at Valencia, and served as a support series to the World Touring Car Championship in all the latter's European races except Zandvoort,... |
| |
Notes:
- Only Lewis Hamilton has subsequently become Formula One World Champion.
- Drivers are listed by their last year in GP2 Series. Usually they started in Formula One at the start of the following season.
- Gold background denotes GP2 champion.
- † = started in Formula One mid-season.
- ‡ Glock had four Grand Prix starts in 2004 for JordanJordan Grand PrixJordan Grand Prix was a Formula One constructor that competed from 1991 to 2005. The team is named after Irish businessman and founder Eddie Jordan...
; his first Formula One team since driving in GP2 2006-07 was Toyota. - Grosjean returned to GP2 in 2010 after losing his Formula One seat.
- 2008 GP2 champion Giorgio Pantano drove the 2004 season in Formula One for JordanJordan Grand PrixJordan Grand Prix was a Formula One constructor that competed from 1991 to 2005. The team is named after Irish businessman and founder Eddie Jordan...
before driving in GP2. He had previously driven in F3000. - Sakon Yamamoto raced in F1 with Super Aguri in 2006. For the next year, he moved down to GP2, before returning to F1 with Spyker mid-season.
2005
The 2005 Season2005 GP2 Series season
The 2005 GP2 Series season started in Imola, San Marino on April 23, and ended in Manama, Bahrain on September 30. The season was won by the German Nico Rosberg, with the Finn Heikki Kovalainen finishing second....
was the first of the series, it succeeding the now defunct Formula 3000 championship. Arden International
Arden International
Arden International is an GP2 Series team, created by Christian Horner.Initially created to raise up Horner's career, and then reliant on sponsorship from Viktor Maslov, the team began to get good results and was the best team of Formula 3000 in its last years, showing new talents to motorsport...
won the last F3000 titles, thus starting as one of the favourites.
The 2005 season began on April 23, 2005 on the weekend of the San Marino Grand Prix
San Marino Grand Prix
The San Marino Grand Prix was a Formula One championship race which was run at the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari in the town of Imola, near the Apennine mountains in Italy, between 1981 and 2006...
at the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari
Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari
The Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari is an auto racing circuit near the Italian town of Imola, east of Bologna and east of the Ferrari factory in Maranello....
in Imola
Imola
thumb|250px|The Cathedral of Imola.Imola is a town and comune in the province of Bologna, located on the Santerno river, in the Emilia-Romagna region of north-central Italy...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. In the pre-season test to decide the inaugural season's car numbers, the iSport International
ISport International
iSport International is a British championship winning motor racing team that competes in the GP2 Series and GP2 Asia Series, the official feeder series for Formula One. It was founded in 2004.- Overview :...
and HiTech/Piquet Racing teams showed a competitive edge. The latter team was largely funded by the former Formula One world champion Nelson Piquet
Nelson Piquet
Nelson Piquet Souto Maior , known as Nelson Piquet, is a Brazilian former racing driver. He was Formula One world champion in , and . He is one of eight drivers to win three or more world championships, the others being Jack Brabham, Jackie Stewart, Niki Lauda, Ayrton Senna , Alain Prost , Juan...
in order to aid his son's route to the premier Formula sport.
The championship lasted 23 rounds, two races occurring a weekend with the exception of a single race in Monaco
Monaco
Monaco , officially the Principality of Monaco , is a sovereign city state on the French Riviera. It is bordered on three sides by its neighbour, France, and its centre is about from Italy. Its area is with a population of 35,986 as of 2011 and is the most densely populated country in the...
. It was won by German Nico Rosberg
Nico Rosberg
Nico Erik Rosberg is a racing driver for the Mercedes GP Formula One team. He races under the German flag in Formula One, although he competed for Finland earlier in his career...
, who was subsequently hired by the WilliamsF1
WilliamsF1
Williams Grand Prix Engineering Limited, trading as AT&T Williams, is a British Formula One motor racing team and constructor. It was founded and run by Sir Frank Williams and Patrick Head...
Team.
2006
The 2006 Season2006 GP2 Series season
The 2006 GP2 Series season began at Valencia, Spain on April 8, 2006 and ended in Monza, Italy on September 10, 2006. The season was won by Briton Lewis Hamilton, with Brazilian Nelson Angelo Piquet finishing second.-The chassis:...
was the second of the series. After championship holder Nico Rosberg's move to the WilliamsF1 team, and runner-up Heikki Kovalainen
Heikki Kovalainen
Heikki Johannes Kovalainen is a Finnish Formula One racing driver who spent the 2008 and 2009 seasons with British based team McLaren and the 2010 and 2011 seasons with Team Lotus....
's move to be reserve driver at Renault F1
Renault F1
Lotus Renault GP, formerly the Renault F1 Team, is a British Formula One racing team. The Oxfordshire-based team can trace its roots back through the Benetton team of the late 1980s and 1990s to the Toleman team of the early 1980s. Renault had also competed in various forms since , before taking...
, Nelson Piquet, Jr. in the Piquet Sports car was installed as the early title favourite, though the ART Grand Prix
ART Grand Prix
Lotus ART is a French motor racing team that competes in formula single-seaters in Europe. It was founded as ART Grand Prix in 1991.-Creation:...
cars of Alexandre Prémat
Alexandre Prémat
Alexandre Prémat is a French race car driver.-Career:-Karting & French Formula Renault Campus:...
and Lewis Hamilton
Lewis Hamilton
Lewis Carl Davidson Hamilton, MBE is a British Formula One racing driver from England, currently racing for the McLaren team. He was the Formula One World Champion.Hamilton was born in Stevenage, Hertfordshire...
also had fairly short odds, given ART were reigning champions.
For the first time, the season began on a calendar separate to the 2006 Formula One
2006 Formula One season
The 2006 Formula One season was the 57th season of FIA Formula One motor racing. It featured the 2006 FIA Formula One World Championship which began on March 12 and ended on October 22 after eighteen races. The Drivers' Championship was won by Fernando Alonso of Renault F1 for the second year in a...
calendar, starting out at the Circuit de Valencia
Circuit de Valencia
Circuit Ricardo Tormo, also known as Circuit de Valencia and officially named Circuit de la Comunitat Valenciana Ricardo Tormo, is a motorsport race track located in Cheste and built in 1999. It has a capacity of 120,000 spectators and seating for 60,000...
, in Valencia, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
on April 8, 2006 with Piquet, Jr. the first victor.
Piquet raced into an early lead, before Lewis Hamilton came back into the foray. A dominant run by the Briton took him into the championship lead, before the balance came back into Piquet Jr.'s favour.
After an exciting championship battle lasting 20 races, Hamilton claimed the title in the penultimate race, at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza
Autodromo Nazionale Monza
The Autodromo Nazionale Monza is a race track located near the town of Monza, north of Milan, in Italy. The circuit's biggest event is the Formula One Italian Grand Prix, which has been hosted there since the sport's inception....
, in Monza
Monza
Monza is a city and comune on the river Lambro, a tributary of the Po, in the Lombardy region of Italy some 15 km north-northeast of Milan. It is the capital of the Province of Monza and Brianza. It is best known for its Grand Prix motor racing circuit, the Autodromo Nazionale Monza.On June...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, and celebrated with a second place in the 21st and final round.
2007
The 2007 GP2 Series season began on 13 April at the Bahrain International CircuitBahrain International Circuit
The Bahrain International Circuit is a motorsport venue opened in 2004 and used for drag racing, GP2 and the annual Bahrain Grand Prix. The 2004 Grand Prix was the first held in the Middle East. Since 2006, Australian V8 Supercar has been raced at the BIC and the V8 races are named as the Desert 400...
, and completed on 30 September at the Circuit de Valencia
Circuit de Valencia
Circuit Ricardo Tormo, also known as Circuit de Valencia and officially named Circuit de la Comunitat Valenciana Ricardo Tormo, is a motorsport race track located in Cheste and built in 1999. It has a capacity of 120,000 spectators and seating for 60,000...
. Eventual champion Timo Glock
Timo Glock
Timo Glock is a German motor racing driver, currently driving in Formula One for the Virgin Racing team. At the 2004 Canadian Grand Prix, standing in for Giorgio Pantano who had a contract dispute with Jordan Grand Prix, he joined a select group of drivers who have scored a World Championship...
was a driving force throughout the series, but came under stiff competition from Lucas di Grassi
Lucas di Grassi
Lucas Tucci di Grassi is a Brazilian racing driver who drove for Virgin Racing in the 2010 Formula One season...
in the closing stages- however, with a convincing win at the last race in Valencia, Glock sealed the championship.
2008
The 2008 GP2 Series season featured the same teams as in previous seasons. It was the first season to feature a new car design from Dallara, the GP2/08, the only non-F1 car to pass the 2007 FIA crash test in full. In the United Kingdom, the 2008 GP2 Series season was exclusively aired on ITV4ITV4
ITV4 is a British television station which was launched on 1 November 2005. It is owned by ITV Digital Channels Ltd, a division of ITV plc, and is part of the ITV network. The channel has a male-oriented line-up, including sport, cop shows and US comedies and dramas, as well as classic ITV action...
from April 2008. It was won by Giorgio Pantano
Giorgio Pantano
Giorgio Pantano is an Italian racing driver who drove for the Jordan Formula One team for much of the 2004 season before being replaced by Timo Glock...
for Racing Engineering
Racing Engineering
Racing Engineering is a Spanish racing team founded in 1999 by Alfonso de Orléans-Borbón. The team's headquarters are located in Sanlúcar de Barrameda, near Jerez, in a state-of-the-art factory, where all car preparation and race team organization is based....
, with Bruno Senna
Bruno Senna
Bruno Senna Lalli is a Brazilian Formula One racing driver and the nephew of the late three-time Formula One world champion Ayrton Senna. His mother is Ayrton's older sister, Viviane. His father, Flávio Lalli, died in a motorcycle crash in 1996. He wears a slightly modified version of his uncle's...
finishing distant runner-up.
2009
The 2009 season began and ended on the Iberian peninsula, with the first race weekend at Circuit de CatalunyaCircuit de Catalunya
The Circuit de Catalunya is a racetrack in Montmeló, to the north of Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. With long straights and a variety of corners, the Circuit de Catalunya is seen as an all-rounder circuit.-History:...
(9–10 May) and ending in the stand-alone headline event (i.e. not supporting a corresponding Formula One
Formula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
event) at Portugal's Autódromo Internacional do Algarve
Autódromo Internacional do Algarve
The Autódromo Internacional do Algarve commonly referred to as Portimao Circuit is a race circuit located in Portimão, Portugal. With a total cost of €195 million , the project includes a karting track, technology park, five-star hotel, sports complex and apartments.Construction was finished in...
(19–20 September). The title was won by German rookie Nico Hülkenberg at the penultimate round of the championship at Monza, the first time the series had been won before the final round.
2010
2010 season contained ten rounds, all of which were supporting F1 World Championship. The series started in May at Catalunya and concluded at Abu Dhabi in November.Pastor Maldonado
Pastor Maldonado
Pastor Rafael Maldonado Motta is a Venezuelan Formula One driver. Before making his Formula One debut in 2011, he won the 2010 GP2 championship.-Formula Renault:...
won the title in his fourth season in the series. He won a record-breaking six successive feature races mid-season. Sergio Pérez
Sergio Pérez
Sergio Pérez Mendoza , also known as "Checo" Pérez, is a Mexican racing driver of Spanish descent, currently racing for Sauber in the 2011 Formula One season...
was his closest rival, but the title was sealed already in the penultimate round at Monza.
Television rights
The television rights are held by the Formula One Management, which also manages the rights to Formula One. In the UK, races were being shown on Setanta SportsSetanta Sports
Setanta Sports is an international sports broadcaster based in Dublin, Ireland. Setanta Sports was formed in 1990 to facilitate the broadcasting of Irish sporting events...
until the channel ceased broadcasting in June 2009. Setanta took up coverage of the series from ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
, who had shown GP2 in all four seasons to date (highlights only for 2005–2007, live coverage for 2008). However, by the German GP, Setanta UK had gone into administration so UK viewers could have been left without a GP2 broadcaster, but British Eurosport
Eurosport
Eurosport is a pan-European television sport network operated by French broadcaster TF1 Group. The network of channels are available in 59 countries, in 20 different languages providing viewers with European and international sporting events...
subsequently picked up the UK rights to GP2 for the next two and a half years. Setanta Ireland continues to operate for the Irish market and retain GP2 rights for that country. The races are also broadcast in Canada and USA on SPEED channel before the Formula One races, while in Brazil it's broadcast by cable TV channel SportTV, in Venezuela are broadcast by MeridianoTV; in the rest of Latin America, the races are shown on Fox Sports. About other European countries: In Spain, races are broadcasted by MarcaTV , La Sexta
La Sexta
laSexta is the sixth nationwide broadcast television station in Spain. It is privately owned and began broadcasting in 2006.-Programming:....
and TV3
TV3 (Catalonia)
TV3 is the primary television channel of Catalan public broadcaster Televisió de Catalunya, a subsidiary of the CCMA. TV3 broadcasts programs only in Catalan, with an optional dual track in the original language for some foreign-language series and movies...
. In Germany PayTV Channel Sky broadcast all races Live and in Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
Pay-TV-channel MTV3 MAX
MTV3 MAX
MTV3 MAX is a Finnish pay television channel owned and operated by MTV3. The channel started broadcasting in November 2006 and was originally dedicated to F1 coverage.- MTV3+ :...
broadcasts all races and qualifying live. RAI
RAI
RAI — Radiotelevisione italiana S.p.A. known until 1954 as Radio Audizioni Italiane, is the Italian state owned public service broadcaster controlled by the Ministry of Economic Development. Rai is the biggest television company in Italy...
broadcasts only the races.
See also
- List of GP2 Series drivers
- GP2 Asia SeriesGP2 Asia SeriesThe GP2 Asia Series is a form of open wheel motor racing based on the GP2 series.The series was officially announced during the weekend of the 2007 Monaco Grand Prix. GP2 series organiser Bruno Michel commented that "It is of great importance that the GP2 Asia Series maintains a strong and viable...
- GP3 SeriesGP3 SeriesThe GP3 Series, or GP3 for short, is a single seater motor racing series launched in 2010 as a feeder series for the GP2 Series, introduced by GP2 organiser Bruno Michel. It was initially thought that the GP3 series would merge with the International Formula Master series...
- Formula OneFormula OneFormula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
- Formula 3000Formula 3000The Formula 3000 International Championship was a motor racing series created by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile in 1985 to become the final preparatory step for drivers hoping to enter the Formula One championship...
- Formula ThreeFormula ThreeFormula Three, also called Formula 3 or F3, is a class of open-wheel formula racing. The various championships held in Europe, Australia, South America and Asia form an important step for many prospective Formula One drivers...
- Formula TwoFormula TwoFormula Two, abbreviated to F2, is a type of open wheel formula racing. It was replaced by Formula 3000 in 1985, but the FIA announced in 2008 that Formula Two would return for 2009 in the form of the FIA Formula Two Championship...